Congressman Joe Kennedy III Stumps for Yes on 2 Campaign in Grove Hall. “We need to make sure that the people, the candidates, are the people that we want to see in office are able to win and to make sure that the people representing us, at every level of government, actually have support from our people. That those in a position of power have earned it from the broadest majority of our people possible.”
For Immediate Release:
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Dorchester, Mass. — November 2, 2020 —
This Monday morning, Yes on 2 volunteers and supporters heard from Congressman Joe Kennedy III at a socially-distanced stand out in Grove Hall about what is at stake in this election and why ranked choice voting deserves their support. He urged support for Question 2 to ensure that candidates are elected based on support from the broadest majority of voters.
“On the ballot tomorrow, you guys have heard all about this over the course of the past four years, it’s about racial justice, it’s about equity, it’s about climate justice and economic justice, but in order to actually get there, in order to fulfill those platforms and those goals, we need to have electoral justice,” Congressman Kennedy told the crowd in Grove Hall. “We need to make sure that the people, the candidates, are the people that we want to see in office are able to win and to make sure that the people representing us, at every level of government, actually have support from our people.
“That those in a position of power have earned it from the broadest of our people possible. And that’s what Ranked Choice Voting does. It makes sure that everybody’s voice can be heard and that you can vote for the candidate you want without fear of the candidate you don’t want being able to win.
“It’s about bringing the community together and having confidence behind our leaders who win our elections. That’s why I’m so proud to be here in support of it with a number of extraordinarily dedicated people in our community.”
Congressman Kennedy was joined by Executive Director of MassVOTE and Vice President of NAACP-Boston Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, District 4 City Councilor Andrea Campbell, At-Large City Councilor Julia Mejia, former Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson, Executive Director of Dunk the Vote Ron Bell, and David Halbert, from the Educational Justice Institute at MIT.
“Thank you first and foremost to all the volunteers on the front lines of this campaign, reaching out to our communities to make sure they vote yes on 2” said District 4 City Councilor Andrea Campbell. “We’re here for one simple thing, Question 2. Vote yes. It is not just about electoral justice, it is about making sure that we put candidates in office who have the majority of the people behind them. We all know that it is extremely difficult for women and people of color to run for office and municipalities that have adopted ranked choice voting have found that it makes it easier for candidates of color to win.”
“This makes you act right when you’re on stage, if they’re not only voting for you one time, and they’re going down the list we are actually going to treat each other a little bit different,” said Grove Hall resident and former Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson before leading a chant of ‘Yes on 2,’ “We’re going to have dignity and respect, and treat the folks who are on stage as well as those people off-stage with the respect they deserve. And we’ve lost that in our country ladies and gentlemen and we have an opportunity to bring that back. We bring that back by voting Yes on 2.”
“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this team and many, many more from across the Commonwealth got over 128,000 signatures,” said Executive Director of MassVOTE and Vice President of NAACP-Boston Cheryl Clyburn Crawford. “And the incredible team that we have behind me that went out, and they’re still out, with thousands and thousands of signs, hundreds of thousands of pieces of literature, and I just want to say publicly, thank you to this amazing team.”
“Congressman Joe Kennedy III Stumps for Yes on 2 Campaign in Grove Hall”
Contact: charlie.patterson@yeson2rcv.com, 617-894-6905
About the Yes on 2 Campaign
Yes On 2 is a citizen-led, nonpartisan campaign to adopt Ranked Choice Voting for Massachusetts elections starting in 2022. Ranked Choice Voting is a common-sense reform that gives voters more voice, more choice, more power and more freedom. It will strengthen our democracy by ensuring our leaders are supported by the broadest majority of voters and reflect the true will of the people.
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